Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4.5/5
Review in a Nutshell: From Blood and Ash was incredible. From the romance to the world, I was captivated. Excuse me as I count down the days until the sequel.

“Fear and bravery are often one and the same. It either makes you a warrior or a coward. The only difference is the person it resides inside.”

[ Related: The Burning Shadow (Origin #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout – Funny, Political, & Cute (ARC Review) ]

// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Assault, Mature Content, Suicide Mention, Abuse, Animal Death, Murder, Kidnapping/Abduction //

Release Date: 3/30/2020
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Page Count: 634
Premise:

From Blood and Ash follows Poppy, who was chosen to be the Maiden. The Maiden must live a solitary life until she is given to the gods at her Ascension, a fate Poppy dreads, despite it being the highest honor. When she gets a new guard, the attractive and alluring Hawke, Poppy finds herself drawn to him, despite knowing that it could make the gods deem her unworthy. But with a fallen kingdom on the rise, she not only has to worry about losing the gods’ approval, but also her life.

“Some truths do nothing but destroy and decay what they do not obliterate. Truths do not always set one free. Only a fool who has spent their entire life being fed lies believes that.”

Writing & Setting

Jennifer L. Armentrout’s writing is perfect for this book. It’s easy to read and understand, yet can fit the atmosphere of the world she’s created. Speaking of the world, it was not what I expected. There are slight nods to creatures we’re familiar with but they have unique twists that make them stand out.

“Lust was not love, it was not loyalty, and it was not long lasting.”

Plot

I was addicted to this book. The first 50 pages or so were a little slower as a lot of important information was dealt out, but the rest flew by. I never wanted to put it down. There’s plenty of action throughout the book, but it’s the romance that drives the plot forward.

There are also some fantastic twists. If you read a lot of fantasy novels, you might be able to predict the big twist like I did, but even though I had an idea about what was going to happen, I was still so excited and shocked when it did.

“You’re an absolutely stunning, murderous little creature.”

Characters

The characters are where this book is the most fun. Mostly because of the romance but we’ll get to that in a second.

Poppy is our protagonist, and I loved how strong and caring she was. Her empathy yet ruthlessness (so violent) was so interesting to watch. And then there’s Hawke. He’s just *chef’s kiss*. His banter with Poppy was so fun and I really can’t wait to learn even more about him in the sequel. We also had a lot of strong side characters that I loved.

Okay but let’s talk about the romance for a second. It was so perfect. It was swoon-worthy and angsty and absolutely addictive. Also, be warned, this is definitely New Adult and NOT YA.

“‘You’re such a bad influence.’
‘Only the bad can be influenced, Princess.’”

Pros- amazing romance, interesting world, addictive, impossible to put down
Cons- slower start
Overall- 5/5 stars.
From Blood and Ash is a book that you will get obsessed with. This book is so much more than I thought it would be, and I’m dying to see where it goes. Fans of Sarah J. Maas- please pick this up. Even if you hate Sarah J. Maas- PICK THIS UP!

If You Liked From Blood and Ash, I’d Recommend:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas – [ Review ]
• Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas – [ Review ]
• Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin – [ Review ]

What’s your couple in a fantasy book?

Add To Your Goodreads Shelf
Purchase From: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound

Join my book club!
[Discord] [Facebook Group]

Follow Me: 
[TikTok] [Twitter][Bookstagram] [Facebook] 
[Tumblr] [Twitch][Youtube][Goodreads]